Glass Pantry Doors: What type of frosted glass is best for providing darkness to the pantry?
The kitchen truly is the heart of the home! More time is spent in the kitchen and dining room of a home than in any other area. It’s the family gathering place where we don’t just share a meal, but hang out and share our lives! Kitchen remodels are among the most popular types of remodeling. With the advancement of high-tech appliances, stunning countertops, innovative faucets, custom lighting and cabinetry, today’s modern kitchen has reached a whole new level of customization!
A very vital part of the kitchen is the pantry. Today’s newly designed kitchens often feature a nice pantry, or at least a full pantry for easy access and a good amount of storage space. Everyone knows it, the pantry is essential! When we walk into a kitchen, for example, when we buy a house, for example, or have ideas for a remodel, when we see a nice big kitchen pantry, we want it! Having enough space to keep things within easy reach and neatly organized is a big part of having an efficient kitchen that we love to cook in!
But we don’t just want efficiency. We want pretty! And the pantry door is what our guests see! And we don’t just want pretty, we want UNIQUE! We want the pantry to perfectly complement and coordinate with our individual décor. There is no better way to add a custom feel to a pantry door than to have custom frosted glass. The glass creates an “open feeling” and a contrasting surface to complement the others we see: granite or other counter surface, wood, perhaps stainless steel, complement the glass. So we know that glass is the best option for an open and varied surface, BUT… we don’t want to be able to see INTO the pantry! Even with a well-maintained pantry, we don’t want to see the cans or boxes and all the other goodies inside!
Solution? Etched glass, or also what is known as frosted glass.
They both mean the same thing, but did you know that there are several TYPES of engraving that actually create various textures and effects?
There is sandblasted glass etching, acid etching, cream etching, ceramic frit, and of course there are also vinyl decals. All of these methods will provide a flat, white frosted surface. The biggest difference comes with the SANDBLAST method, and that’s because sandblasting the glass allows the artist to penetrate deeper into the glass as the sand is sprayed through a hose with varying air pressure. Unlike other methods and materials that only allow “surface etching”, sand acts as a carving tool, with the ability to create depth and shading, which are areas in the glass that fade to clear glass. creating a two-dimensional image. effect on design. The sandblasting nozzle is actually used as an artist’s brush and sculptor’s carving tool, as you would think of carving clay with a metal tool. The sand actually melts the glass. When you run your fingers across the sandblasted surface, compared to an acid etching or cream etching, you will not only be able to create line ridges and edges, or bumps and bumps, if the glass was 3D carved, but you will also notice a subtle difference in the actual surface of the glass. It will be slightly more porous and a brighter white than acid etched, for comparison.
Acid etching actually creates more “shine” in the etched finish. It cannot be “shaded” and the finish is not as bright white.
Cream etching is a technique most often used by hobbyists for smaller items like wine glasses or other kitchen utensils. By creating a slightly whiter finish than acid etching, it also etches just the surface.
A ceramic frit is a glaze that is applied to glass with a large roller for full coverage applications or through a screen for screen printing applications. The design is made by placing a screen on a piece of glass and then pressing the ceramic frit, by means of a large squeegee, through the pores of the screen. After the frit is applied, the glass goes through an infrared oven to dry the frit and then goes through a tempering oven to burn (bond) the frit to the glass permanently. This method also creates a solid white finish.
As for maintenance, each method is quite durable. They can all be cleaned with a soft cloth, using a typical glass cleaner. With acid or cream etching, you do have to be a little more careful not to rub too hard as you clean, but that’s rarely necessary.
The sandblasted surface is probably the most scratch resistant. Being slightly porous, it CAN absorb oils a bit deeper, but the oil can be removed with acetone. Using a soft white cloth, apply acetone to the cloth and rub. The surface is actually very hard…obviously permanent, and as long as you use a soft cloth, you can rub and remove any oil. To finish, continue spraying the entire area with glass cleaner and wipe clean. The only time the use of acetone really becomes necessary is if you have a little butterfinger or some other oil on someone’s hands, touching or rubbing the glass. Otherwise, sandblasted glass shows no dust and rarely needs cleaning.
Now for the GLASS THICKNESS: Most interior glass doors will come with pre-installed 1/8″ thick tempered glass. If glass inserts are ordered separately, 1/8″ or 1/2″ may be sold. /4″. Both are tempered, they are essentially equally strong. Tempered glass is very difficult to break. The only really vulnerable places are the edges, which of course are already in the door frame. If the glass is ordered separately , just be careful around the edges, don’t hit it against a counter or other hard object, where scratches on the door glass are not usually a problem.Unlike a glass table or counter where objects slide off the surface, door glass is usually only touched by hands and fingers.
Now to the FUN PART! The frosted glass design! The best option to achieve the privacy you want, with a design at the LOWEST PRICE, is what is called SOLID NEGATIVE FROST or ETCH. Featuring a negative print, the design elements are CLEAR GLASS and the BACKGROUND is FROSTED for darkness. Line widths (eg for a border or design) should be no more than 1/8″ thick, although 1/4″ is still fine and will not allow for real visibility unless the light is ON and one person stands up. right on the glass, looking inside!
With sandblasted glass, there is also the option of a Carved 2D and 3D effect. These effects give the glass a truly handcrafted and higher quality look. Also known as “stage sandblasting”, the design will take on a completely different look in one of these techniques.
When it comes to buying a frosted glass pantry door, these effects cover most of what is available. Adding one to your kitchen will really create something fun and unique that you’ll be proud of when you put it on display AND enjoy every time it goes to your pantry!